King Bong – Space Shanties (2012)

With a name like King Bong, one can immediately tell what kind of music this band plays. This Italian trio delivers a hefty dosage of Instrumental Stoner/Sludge Metal that was recorded live and without the usage of any studio magic, adding to the overall brilliance of the songs presented here. Featuring over 60 minutes of jazzy and funky music, this is one album that all fans of the genre should pay attention to.

Starting with the interestingly named track “Even 50 Feet Hamsters Have Feelings”, we all know what the band was on when they came up with such a name. With a very slow and hypnotic pace, this track features a hefty amount of psychedelicness that will make you start thinking you are hallucinating. The bass, guitar, and drums approach to the music gives it a very minimalist take, while being far from being dull and repetitive.

Things get more interesting as they cruise through tracks like “Of Bong And Man” and “Inhale On Main Street”, one can’t stop thinking of how much weed these guys smoke. The music on the other hand, has a very unique vibe and perfectly paced tempo that shows their skills at crafting intricate tracks that are very accessible to the listener. Creative percussions and a very well defined bass guitar line make tracks like “Kilooloogung” quite a delightful experience to enjoy.

Bringing back some of the psychedelia of the 70’s, “A. B. Ong” is one of our favorite tracks in this release as we picture it being the perfect song for a chase scene in an old movie. Closing in high spirits, the sludgy “Cthulhu” brings this release full circle with waves of distorted guitars and a solid guitar leads.

As a whole, “Space Shanties” is a very exciting and well-crafted release. We have to recognize that the three members behind this band are quite talented and they can surely write songs that while sludgy and slow, they never get old and have high replay value. This album is definitely a must-have for any fan of instrumental Sludge/Stoner Metal that wants to smoke a big joint while enjoying their music.

Release: October 26th, 2012

Genre: Instrumental Stoner/Sludge Metal

Country: Germany